Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Corolla, NC

We came for a weeklong working trip. I brought my laptop to work from home and this place was perfect. The view was beautiful and the weather was great at night to just sit outside and enjoy the view. It was a very quiet camp with a great dog park. I look forward to visiting again soon.

This KOA is actually still under construction. As with everything else Covid-19 has set it back. But there are many sites available. A lot of the amenities are already available. Dog park, shower house, store, children's play area and they can fill your propane tanks for you. Full hookups with WiFi and cable. Drive through and back in sites with water views all around. We spent a week there and it was so relaxing. They also rent campers and little trailers. Check out their website.

This is our home base camping resort. It’s a deeded membership that allows for 14 day stays with a single deed. We’ve stayed a few times prior to owning with friends who sponsored us. There are both paved and unpaved sites with full hookups, and tent sites that feature water and electricity. Bath houses throughout property, and a laundry, community center, two pools, a large pavilion and ball court. We love having play areas for the kids and a dog park for our fluffy kid.

We stayed for the weekend with our 4 kids and dog. There were lots of other pups there and tons of activities for the kids. There’s a leash-off dog park, 2 stores, 4 pools, countless playgrounds, a bike trail to the beach (a little under 3 miles one way, but flat and an easy ride). There was so much to do! The campground is HUGE, so it may seem crowded, but it’s quiet! The naval base is practically right next door and they do scramble the jets every day, but we didn’t mind the noise. The kids loved watching them fly over. Besides, they don’t scramble at night, so you’ll be able to sleep with little issues. The bath houses are clean and there’s trash service several times a day (just leave your trash bag by the site post and they’ll pick it up!). We loved it and hope to stay longer next time.

We live on the other side of Virginia, but have enjoyed returning to First Landing whenever we get the chance. We love the fact that we can visit the beach AND camp.

Campsites are within walking distance to the ocean. VA Beach boardwalk is a short drive away. Beach is dog friendly, obviously pick up after your dogs. Park Rangers patrol and help you feel secure without being overbearing. Visitors Center offers lots of info about things to do. Camp store offers firewood and ice as well as odds and ends you might have forgotten. They also have some really nice bathhouses although not all of them have been renovated.

Bring flip flops for the shower and sandals/walking shoes. Bring bug spray.

Pet and people friendly. Convenient to everything in the Kitty Hawk and Nags Head area. Summer fees were about $60/night, which is a bit pricey but beats a hotel. Spacious sites.

The first thing we noticed was this place was clean and I suggest you make a reservation as we did as it books up fast. Pet friendly, great fishing and beautiful views all around. You will find plenty to do and see. We enjoyed this park and will go back again,

Park and campground was clean, pet friendly and I suggest you make a reservation or you might not get a spot. We loved the views and the people around the area where very friendly . Fishing was real good and we found tons of stuff to do and see. We will be back.

Even on the fourth of July weekend, with every campsite booked, this place was quiet and felt very removed from the beaches several miles north in Virginia Beach. We biked in from Little Island Park. 

From the parking lot to our campsite, it was about 7.5 miles. Some campsites are closer by a couple of miles. We're both in good shape, and on bike we made the trek in less than an hour. I rode my mountain bike, and my wife road her hybrid commuter bike without issue. We brought a collapsible 5 gallon jug that I had to ride back to the visitors center (about 2 miles from our campsite) to fill up. 

It was a fair amount of work, but we took our 9 month old and 2 year old children. We towed them in a trailer and they loved their time at the beach. 

The visitors center is a great spot to stop and rest for a while. It is air conditioned, and they have a small gift shop with cold drinks and ice cream available. 

We were on site 22, which is ocean side, and right up next to 23. They could easily act as companion sites. If you camp on the ocean side, you are permitted to set up your tent on the shore (in  a designated strip) as long as you let them know at the visitors center.

All other campers we met were quiet and friendly. and we really just could not have asked for a better situation. 

This is my kind of day at the beach. I loved it.

Also, pets are allowed, but they are not allowed through Black Bay. You either have to bring them in via boat, or coming up south from North Carolina.

First landing State Park is a 2,888 acre park located on 1.8 miles of the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay. We camped here in early May in our 34 ft Class A Rv. If you are familiar with us, you will know we love campgrounds where we park our RV and we can spend the next 10-14 days hiking 🥾, biking 🚴‍♀️ and paddling 🛶.

🛶You can easily launch your kayak from the campground area but realize you will be trudging through sand for about 200 yards. When the bay was rough, it was a challenging paddle... and worth the views.

🎣I paid for an out of state fishing license for 5 days and it was pretty expensive. I already keep GA and FL yearly fishing licenses...so I may have to rethink my fishing addiction as we travel more outside those states. There is a boat 🚤ramp near the Narrows beach which is either free or costs $4 for people staying at the Park. (We didn’t use it and the wording was contradictory in my research) so check with park on that item if you tow a motorized boat.

🥾20 miles of Trails!! Lots of trails to hike and mountain/hybrid bike. We were surprised at the quality and the number of trails available. We were never bored. Here is a link to the hikes

https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/document/data/trail-guide-firstlanding.pdf

🚴It was also fun to road bike the 10 miles from the state park to the Virginia Beach Boardwalk but we advise you take cautions on the first 2 miles outside the park. We were NOT there “in season” but during certain times of year there is a trolley 🚃 that goes to the boardwalk, gift shop and lots of park activities during the season.

🚍⛺️This campground delivered! The 184 Campsites with variations of 20/30/50amp electric and water (some sites may be seasonal March-December) sites are mostly hard sand/grass based and not all are level. Due to foilage/branches —>many of the larger sites near the waterfront are narrowed (Our camping neighbor had branch clippers he let us borrow) Also, note is that there is a $5 per pet per night additional fee at the campsite

🏡they have lots of cabins. pets are allowed for a $10 fee per pet & per night in the 20 cabins but not in the 4 available yurts. (I know that seems high but many parks in other states do not allow pets at all in their cabins) Here is a link to a pdf about the park

https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/document/data/facility-guide-firstlandingnorth.pdf

We are excited to come to this park this upcoming April.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

Wonderful spot away from crowds but close to beach. Tent, RV or “ tiny cabin” options. Clean, quiet and pretty. Canal runs around campground that gives you access to Back Bay. Pool and playground. Small store. Super friendly staff. Love it there. 5 minute drive to Sandbridge. 15 to Va Beach strip. Level ground but water collects with heavy rains- to be expected at he beach.

I think pets are OK. Good showers.

This is a small family oriented campground close to Sandbridge beach. They are located on a small waterway that leads to Back Bay. Good fishing and wonderful area to kayak or paddle board. You can even bring a boat. The bathhouse is clean, climate controlled , and never too busy. There’s a game room for relaxing or playing air hockey, pool, and fussball. The owners have corn hole available as well. There’s a small swimming pool in case you want to take a dip although due to excessive rain the week before our trip it was closed for cleanup. There’s a basketball court and small playground. This is a low lying area and standing water at some sites after heavy rains can be an issue. There are a few cabins to rent, pop ups and a bunkhouse camper as well as full and water/elec. hookup RV sites, waterfront sites and tent sites. We’ve stayed here several times and the owners and employees are always very welcoming and accommodating. Pets are allowed on leash and our dogs love it!

We have have spent many weekends here over the last few years and love it! We attended their Super Bowl event there, the crawfish bowl and many more. The personal are wonderful and have 0 issues with our sites or anything else there. 

Pros*

-Clean

-Military discount offered

-Pet friendly 

-Seasonal and Non-Seasonal Spots

-Open all year round. 

-Best campground around.

-Quiet location off Knotts Island.

-Ferry Available into Camden, NC (fits out bus and 37ft TT).

-Beach access with wonderful views.

Cons*

Found broken glass on the beach a few times. It was cleaned up and no issues since.

We absolutely love it here! The hosts are so friendly and informative! We were warmly welcomed and our campsite felt isolated even for how closely the layout is. The walk through the dunes to the beach is negligible but be careful with kids and pets as it is accessable to vehicles and moderately trafficked. If you are able, don't worry about hookups as the marina across the street has potable water and a dump...FREE! Wahoo! :) Ocean breezes all day long! Just watch for the sand spurs and some sneaky catus! Our pups loved it here but got stuck by those guys a few times!

Though we were caught camping in what seemed to be a very dramatic North Carolina storm we made the best of it. Good location all around, close to the ocean and cool towns nearby. Showers could use some updating but I guess that’s what we get for winter camping on the coast! Also another down side... close to the highway so it was a bit loud at night

Fantastic campground perfectly located halfway between Corolla and Frisco! Extremely clean bathrooms and great beach access! Not all sites have hookups so double check what you’re getting when you book! If you’re looking for a quiet campground outside of the hustle and bustle but within reach of everything Outer Banks, the Oregon Inlet is for you!

We spent Thanksgiving here and had a great time. Our spot (B6) backed up to the sand dunes which gave us a greater sense of privacy but the sites are all pretty close to each other. We had no hookups at our site and still managed to make a pretty awesome Thanksgiving dinner. Campground has nice bathrooms and outdoor showers. I didn't try the showers but they looked like they might not have hot water. The ocean is a minute or 2 walk over the sand dunes - you can't see it from the sites but can still hear it, at least from our site.

This was a great base to explore the area - drove up to Corolla (cutest town ever) and drove on the beach where the horses are although we didn't see any.

Overall, average, kind of crowded campground but an excellent location with ocean access.